It Don't Matter What Been Said

 by  Shaun Lawton 

Finally listening to IV & the Strange Band's  highly anticipated LP Southern Circus.  I preordered the die hard yellow vinyl edition a ways back.  I was already on top of things when I preordered the 7" of Son of Sin.  That already feels like a classick, and only one day's past since the album dropped.  Strange days indeed.  The way I feel inside, no one could know how, anyway.  This record's hitting me like an arrow straight through the heart. It really packs a wallop.  I've been primed to receive these songs through my ear holes for awhile now.  Lemme tell you that it's not a disappointment.  In fact I am blown away by every track.  This album's legend is blossoming inside me like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  I'm a goddamned IV & the Pod People man, now.  It's annealing the sadness in me.  Like my heart's been forged in the fires of Hell.  Now the flaming sword I carry inside me has been tempered to a vorpal edge eternally. My own body's my shield on account of my heart being my sword. My hands are just the daggers I carry by my side. I'm just another old son of sin.  

                                                    digital rendering I made on Deep Dream Generator

I sure hope Coleman brings his strange band through Salt Lake City sooner than later. I feel like I may be reaching through to him, slowly but surely, via my social utility presence.  I've come close to intersecting with him on a few cyber fronts.  It's only a matter of time before I get to see them perform live here.  I'm hoping it's one of his all ages shows. I'd surely love to bring Zane to it.  This pandemic has really thrown us for a loop.  At least we got to see Orville Peck together, Zane and Shasta and I.  That was fucking phenomenal. Zane & I danced around like mad, chasing each other up and down the lawn, and I raced down and around to get closer to the stage, and Zane followed me, and I swung him up and held him high so he could see Orville doing his thing.   But if IV & the Strange Band hit up the Metro Music Hall or something, where it's 21+, I'll go to that show if it's the only other show I see this year besides Roger Waters, on Sept 8.    The only other shows I've seen recently post-pandemic are King Crimson at the Sandy Amphitheater (where we saw Orville Peck, incidentally) and then Zombi opening for The Sword at the Metro Music Hall, oh and yeah,  Mono of course at the Urban Lounge, touring for the first time since Covid hit, representing their stunning eleventh album Pilgrimage of the Soul.  But I digress.  

When I first heard Deep Down, it was because I broke down and watched the video on YouTube, not really being able to help myself.  I'll tell you what.  Not only did the song hit me like a ton of bricks, but the video was a perfect match to it (which is very unusual, in and of itself, cuz videos usually distract from the music, and often can even ruin a song if you're not careful).    And then hearing it play about as loud as my stereo could handle it, well it sounds fantastic.   I think that's the hardest rocking track on the whole record.   But I've only spun it once, and I'm ready to give it another spin, right off the bat.  I'm going to go ahead and say it. This is a legendary debut album we have before us, right here.  And I could care less if any of you fuckers even give it the time of day.  An album hasn't hit me this hard since korn's self titled dropped all of those twenty-eight years ago. I bought that from Bull Moose Music in Portland, Maine on cassette tape. The rest is history.     

It's weird the way things line up sometimes.  Like how I just managed to score dax rigg's swan song album Say Goodnight to the World on vinyl since I luckily spotted it available on daks's bandcamp page.  Turns out it dropped onto the Fat Possum label back in 2019.  Honestly the one I just got must be a repressing cuz how does this album stay a secret for three years, ain't no way.  I first bought it on CD twelve years ago, back in 2010 when it came out. It was obvious to me then as plain as it is now, this was his final statement, the last Dax Riggs record.  Why on Earth should that be the case? May as well ask Coleman's daddy, Sheldon the same question.  Why is Fiendish Threat the last thing Hank 3 done put out.  There's something in the air, idk.  Both artists are perfectly capable and even still young enough to a certain extent where there's no question they could put out another few great and relevant albums. We're all operating on different lengths with our cycles. I guess some folk's circular voyages with this planet going around the Sun take longer spans of time than others. 

     It's about time Coleman's music project IV & the Strange Band alights on this godforsaken nest we've built and which still hasn't been blown away in the gales being whipped up in the world. I like how he obviously has something to say and he ain't afraid to come out and say it. My voice would waver too if I had half the guts he does.  Strange Circus arrives like a punch in the stomach. I feel like the air just got knocked out of me. And I like it.  It's been a long time coming and it sure as hell was worth the wait.   Right now I'm still reeling from it, gasping for air, and so I'll leave well enough alone by repeating that every last track on this album absolutely floored me.  Trust me on this, this album doesn't need a "review," it's something you either get or you don't, and so you either live it or you won't.   No one cares if you don't get it, go away and stay away.  It's like korn and cancerslug, or tom waits,  an all or nothing deal.  Coleman can stand tall and easy right up there with them greats, it'll be alright. The next few decades are gonna slip by so fast like rattlers sidlin' over a massive set of railroad tracks. Ain't no time for slowin' down nor looking back. Feels like we're gearing up for the long hard slide into home base, nowadays.  And well I don't know, if you ask me, I kinda like it like that.